The Minnesota Timberwolves have seen two straight conference finals. Yet, Anthony Edwards and Co. came up short. The team knows they are very close to clearing the hump. What’s critical in these times, then, is change. Players need to prepare more, the team needs to work like a well-oiled machine, and the ace needs to be battle-ready.

Ant-Man left with mental wounds after facing OKC’s physically imposing defense. Edwards wasn’t strong enough. At last, a 30-point elimination in Game 5 lit a fire under him. “Nobody’s going to work harder than me this summer. I’ll tell you that much,” he told the media. Those words weren’t him trying to console himself.

That moment was a realization. Anthony Edwards had to be the hardest worker in order for the Timberwolves to see the Finals once and for all. And he’s wasting no time. Edwards is the first player from the Wolves’ core to show up at the facility. His goals this season are to be unaffected.

A video was enough to send that message. Like Michael Jordan after being beat down by the Pistons, Ant Man is working on building his physique. The short video showed him in improved conditioning and lifting weights with purpose. The fear of falling short again has now turned into rage. Anthony Edwards is out to prove that he’s enough.

But can that possibly be the case? The Timberwolves haven’t made any major changes to their roster. They lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a mainstay in the rotation, in free agency. Maybe Edwards’ work ethic stems from the fact that the Timberwolves aren’t fortified. Can they manage to win that way? A former player of the franchise feels they can’t.

Being Michael Jordan won’t save Edwards and the Timberwolves

The Thunder ripped off the Timberwolves when they successfully subdued Anthony Edwards. The imposing defense from Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and other pillars brought immense difficulty. But the reason Edwards came up short wasn’t a strength issue. He is an atomic athlete who can break through rigid zones.

But in basketball, you can’t fight a battle alone. At least not anymore as Austin Rivers thinks the Timberwolves can’t just rely on Ant-Man.

“It’s like Minnesota was really good, man. They ran into the Thunder defensively, and like Ant was like looking around. They’re like, brother, it’s over… That s–t worked in the 90s in early 2000s. One player could do something like that. Michael could take his team to the mountaintop. That s–t ain’t going to work in today’s day. You got teams eight or nine deep, six f—–g all defensive players on one team, five, and they’re all just sitting there. It ain’t going to happen, bro, especially in the West,” Rivers said on Off Guard.

If it wasn’t true last season, it’s going to be now. The Thunder’s championship didn’t just revalue two-way players. It gave teams a blueprint. Having a ferocious defense can be transformative. Against teams with one ball-dominant figure, such defenses will generally prevail. What Alex Rodriguez needs to do is provide Anthony Edwards with some support.

He can’t be the only decision maker on the team. Rob Dillingham, a young but speedy point guard, could be the solution. The Wolves could also opt to trust Mike Conley more as a veteran. But a charged-up defense needs to be shown different things to keep them from settling. Because once that happens, they gain control.

How do you think the Timberwolves should address this problem? Let us know your views in the comments below.